loneliness, $101.72, and legit packing

This was my second summer without my family around me. Don, JoHanna, toddler nephew Joseph, & baby girl niece-to-be are in Hawaii; Andrew is stationed in North Carolina; Mom & Dad are in Anniston; and niece Anna Kaitlyn is in Gulf Port with her mom & family. Last summer, I was too busy to notice. I had so much to do before my first day of teaching... and there was a lot I didn't do that needed to be done. This summer, time slowed down. I noticed my brothers not hanging around, my niece not being around to babysit & entertain, & my parents being 3.5 hours away.

It's not that it's bad. It's just different.

My ninth grade year, there were 10 people living in my house. 10! Now, we're in 100 different directions, doing our own things, & it's different. We also didn't vacation this summer which was hard. I think when we're apart like this, we need to at least vacation for a few days.

When I get back from Super Summer next week (in 9 days), it will be "get my classroom ready" time. August 3= Welcome back to school Kindergarteners! I cannot believe the time has come. I saw Wal-Mart employees putting out school supplies tonight, & I thought, "OH NO! I haven't sent my school supply list to my students yet!" I'm doing it tomorrow before I leave town. :)

I spent $101.72 on food for Super Summer, a turquoise comforter for the twin x-L bed (which was unnecessary but made me feel better), toiletries, & CANDY for my family group. CANDY is the way to open up a group of 16-17 year old strangers to talk about God. Not just any candy, mind you. Forget the dum-dums & Blowpops that work so well for 5-year-olds. I got the good stuff: Snickers, Reese's, & Starbursts.... not to mention a cute HUGE candy bowl that matches my comforter. So unnecessary...

I did not get cute notecards this year for the family group's encouragement notes. I am writing it on plain paper. That's the resourceful Kindergarten teacher in me talking.... I did get pretty stickers to liven up the notebook paper though. :)

If I could find my camera... it's probably chilling in room 109 at my school with the "before" pictures of my classroom stored so nicely in it... I would show you a picture of my amazing packing job. I packed 16 outfits into a red suitcase. 8 pairs of shoes into a Vera Bradley medium tote. $40 worth of snacks (awful food at Super Summer) in Wal-Mart sacks (that will later be used to store dirty clothes... again so resourceful). My new turquoise comforter rolled in its package. My jersey twin x-L sheets from freshman year that I have missed. They feel like a t-shirt; they are so soft! and my North Face backpack with the aluminum water bottles attached to the zippers, a bottle brush to clean the bottles while at camp (OCD much?), family group's candy, notebook paper for encouragement notes, my camp Bible, & my prayer journal. It would be an amazing picture. You'd be proud of my packing skills. They're legit.